Sun 31st Aug - Villa Park
Last updated: 18th July 2008
Bentley: Interest from Villa
Martin O'Neill says Aston Villa have changed transfer targets after a bid for David Bentley was rejected.
Villa had been keen to sign Bentley from Blackburn Rovers, only for their Premier League rivals to spurn an offer.
Rovers boss Paul Ince revealed at the start of the week that Villa had registered an interest in the England midfielder.
O'Neill confirmed he had tried to sign Bentley, but has now switched his sights after failing to agree a deal.
"I wouldn't normally respond to individual links, but as Paul Ince rightly said, we did make a bid for David Bentley," O'Neill told the club's official website.
"That was some time ago and Blackburn rejected the bid - as is their prerogative.
"We do not intend revisiting that and we have switched our attentions to other transfer targets."
Blackburn have rejected offers from two clubs for Bentley, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also having been linked with bids.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Monday 15th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Tottenham vs Aston Villa |
| Sunday 21st September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:00 | West Brom vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 27th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Sunderland |
| Saturday 18th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Portsmouth |
| Saturday 25th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Aston Villa |
| Wednesday 29th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Aston Villa vs Blackburn |
| Monday 3rd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Newcastle vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 8th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Middlesbrough |
| Saturday 15th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 17:30 | Aston Villa vs Man Utd |
| Saturday 29th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Fulham |
| Saturday 6th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 13th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Bolton |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 31st August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 0 - 0 Liverpool | |
| Thursday 28th August | |
| UEFA Cup Qualifying | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 1 FH Hafnarfjordur | |
| Saturday 23rd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Stoke 3 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Sunday 17th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 4 - 2 Man City | |
| Thursday 14th August | |
| UEFA Cup Qualifying | |
| FH Hafnarfjordur 1 - 4 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 2nd August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Reading 1 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 26th July | |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 0 Odense BK | |
| Tuesday 22nd July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Walsall 2 - 3 Aston Villa | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | West Ham United | 3 | 6 |
| 6 | Middlesbrough | 3 | 6 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | Bolton Wanderers | 3 | 4 |
| 9 | Manchester United | 2 | 4 |
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